londoncollegeyears - Tumblr blog

[londoncollegeyears]

Stop comparing yourself locally - to the people that are immediately in your environment. Compare yourself globally - to the global leaderboard. In contrast with every single person in the world, how good am I doing?

Viorel Boeru (d&g.mg)

[londoncollegeyears]

Dead fish go with the flow.

Andy Hunt

[londoncollegeyears]

EQ, Emotions, and Energy

Emotions are powerful! You can use them, or they can use you.

How people deal with emotions

Tons of people run in the other direction when it comes to experiencing or showing any type of emotion. Some, prefer “good” emotions whereas “bad” ones are locked away in a Do Not Enter cupboard. There are also those who are swept away by each and every emotion, they succumb to them - the master becomes the servant.

Very few know how to handle their emotions, and even fewer know the constructive impact emotions can have on their life. 

Emotions as energy

Emotions can be translated into desired results very easily. Let me take you through the steps:

(Optional) 0. Remove yourself from the situation that triggered the (un)wanted emotion.

1. Stop obsessing over the what just happened. Don’t think about it.

2. Start, continue or complete an activity.

3. Be fully immersed in the activity.

In this way, anger, for example, can be transformed into energy and be used as fuel for attaining any result that you desire. 

Let’s personalise this process in relation to anger.

0. Remove yourself from the situation that generated the emotion (and stay away from any other circumstance or person that may keep the anger fired up)

1. Don’t think about the injustice, or anything to do with it. Drop it completely.

2. What would be a better use of my energy? What is something that I need or want to accomplish? Answer:_________ (Fill in the blank.) 

3. Be 100% focused on task at hand. For as long as this is going to take, this activity will be my whole world, it will be everything that I’ll focus all my attention on.

Distraction works!

The secret lies in distracting oneself from what has happened (the incident), and immersing in an activity that can bring about desirable results.

[londoncollegeyears]

Fitting in, People, & Success

Sometimes it’s better to stop wishing to be picked, and pick yourself instead. 

Be it in business, relationships, or simply happiness, it’s all the same. Many are waiting to be picked. You’re just another guy or gal - another replacement to the previous cog which stopped working as expected. If you’re “lucky” and you get picked, you say that you’ve won. Is becoming a cog considered winning? Do you believe that to become an easily replaceable part is to have won?

I say you should aim to be irreplaceable, to become indispensable, to be missed if you’re gone! You’re not a replica of somebody else, you are you. Stop running away from your very richness, embrace it. Accept it all - the good, the bad, and the ugly, the desired and the undesired. This is what you’ve been given. Stop cursing the skies and start utilising what you have to its fullest potential.

There’s one of you, and a whole lot of replicas. In these circumstances it’s visceral to become just like everybody else. But remember, don’t mistake easy for safe, don’t confuse easy for success.

You’re sold on fitting it daily, “look at all the benefits: certainty, joy, ease, safety!” You’re taught how to fit in so they know where to find you, when needed to be exploited. They feed you artificial dreams, so they can sell you junk. They feed you information that fuel your emotions, behaviours and make you act in predictable, manageable ways. There are viruses that you’ve been programmed to crave. The worst viruses are seductively whispered into your ears over, and over, and over again, until some day, you give in and obey.

Fitting in is what you use, not do. Fitting in serves a purpose. But fitting is not the choice that absolutely works 100% of the time. You fit in when you want a closer look. You fit in when you want more of the same. But as soon as you’re fed a lie, you recognise it for what it is and keep your distance.

Fitting in is not evil, but it can be used deceitfully. Just like guns, you can use it to protect your family, or you can use it to get revenge. The tool is there to be used. How it’s used, it’s up to the individual. Now you may ask “What’s wrong with being part of a group?” and I’ll say “Nothing.” It’s not being part of groups that’s the issue, is what groups you are part of that could lead to bigger issues. 

You are the average of the people you spend the most time with.  Believes are formed first, then justification follows. In other words, you’re convinced of something first, then you make up reasons. 

According to the above laws, you need to…

Be selective about who you spend most of your time around because you will accept and get attached to beliefs, attitudes and ideas that are adopted in your most immediate environment.

I hope you can see how fitting in has the power to alter your life. Use it (or get used by it) poorly and you will suffer. Use it well and you will reap wonderful rewards. 

All the best!

[londoncollegeyears]

Find your genius & let it out!

What is genius?

Your genius is of a combination of (1) the gifts you have to give / the talents you carry, (2) the style in which you bring those gifts and talents out, and (3) the uniqueness of your honest, actual self.

We have to realise that the reason why we recognise a particular quality that others possess, a characteristic that attracts our inner most being, is because, (unbeknownst to us) we, ourselves have this power within us. We subconsciously feel the need to first project our genius onto others, so that we can get an objective (and an outside / distanced) view of it, before incorporating it (which is another word for embodying it, and absorbing it) to help replicate what we saw in another person. This way we understand what it would look and feel like to possess this genius. In other words, we have a clear image of what we wish to accomplish.

How do you find your genius?

Your calling in life is calling to your genius that already exists within you. And, you need to trust yourself in order to find your genius. Self-trust is difficult for many of us, but without it you will not find your genius, because your genius speaks its own language. “The trick is learning that language and often we just don’t listen carefully enough.”

When you become aware of your own genius, you gain a deep and profound understanding and clarity about what you are to devote your time towards. “I’m here to do this and I’m gonna do this no matter what!” When you have identified your genius, you have found a purpose to your life.

Michael Meade (the author of The Genius Myth) says that “by the time you reach the age of 20, everybody has at least one experience of the awakening of their genius.” He also adds that “one’s parents typically don’t agree with that direction in life; one’s friends may not be reinforcing it. School is anti-genius because everybody is on the same curriculum.” 

Michael goes on to say that “genius and the difficulty of life live in proximity. Carl Jung said “genius hides behind the wound.” Genius is discovered during adversity. During adversity genius is revealed. During comfort it is concealed. Go to a time when you were in big trouble, and examine how did you survive? Whatever way you survived there’s a genius in that method.”

The first step to finding your genius is to understand the language that it speaks. This is usually communicated through your preference of the same act that got you out of trouble many times before.

The rest of the journey remains unknown because your genius is unique and the path to it is unique. If your destination has not yet been discovered, it is in your hands to find your way to it. Nobody can help you because nobody has the compass but you. Your genius is singularly tailor-made to you.

What are some common blockers that get in the way of you living a genius life?

The belief that you cannot lead a creative and a genius life, and make money at the same time is false. You can have both, and you see examples of people all around you, doing what they love, and making an excellent living out of it.

Avoid making the claim that you can’t find the time to either figure out your genius or to work on it. You can wake up earlier, you can go to sleep later, you can, if you want to, find the time to live a more fulfilling life. The question is not “Can I do it?” it is “Will I do it?” It all comes down to commitment.

”Holding back is so close to stealing.” 

We need genius. 

We need your genius. 

We need you. 

► Find iBrandV on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook

[londoncollegeyears]

“Voltaire very rightly says that if we succeed, it is at the point of the sword, and that we die with the weapon in our hand.”

We’re born with a power mechanism that keeps us alive, and allows us to avoid threatening situations where our life may be in danger. This is fear. Real fear. It protects us. Fear is our saviour. The loyal dog that walks by our side, always there to protect us from enemies.

You blame fear. You run away from it. 

But you own your life to fear.

Fear is the hero of the story! Please don’t segregate fear; don’t label it as bad, evil, unwanted. Fear has stuck with you all along. Your loyal servant forgives and forgets. Even after years and years of misjudgement, of being told how useless and destructive it is, it hasn’t ceased to shield you.

Befriend fear - and it will not only protect you, but it will show you how to use fear to attain success.

Don’t delude yourself (and don’t be deluded).

To put all the eggs in one basked and call them fear is unwise. Different fears for different purposes. Some fears lead you to rewards, other, help you move away from harm. 

But amongst these helpful soldiers, we employed viruses which at first look like fear (due to their false facade). One needs to be observant, aware and identify for his or her own self which fears are constructive, and which ‘fears’ aren’t fears at all. The distinction between fear and “fear” is the same as the difference between a loyal partner and a “loyal” partner. One is, the other is not.

We call this virus, Resistance. You refer to it as anxiety. It’s one and the same thing. “It focuses on possibilities in an unknown future, not a real and present threat. Humans have developed other emotions and warnings to help us avoid actual threats. Anxiety, on the other hand, is an internal construct with no relation to the outside world. Needless anxiety doesn’t protect you from danger, but from doing great things.” (Seth Godin in Linchpin)

The rotten eggs with their impeccable shells need to be challenged. Or else, they’ll contaminate the whole basket, and make you turn your back on your most precious ally, fear.

“Follow the path of most resistance.” The best advice I’ve heard in my life! The silly thing about feeling resistance toward an activity, is that we’re aware that if we go ahead and do it anyway, on the other side of it, there are precious rewards that we want and need. Yet, we let resistance spook us away from the things we strongly desire. We’re so silly sometimes! :)

Instead of allowing the dog to pull on the leash and lead us astray from where we intend to go, we can turn the force of resistance against itself, allowing it to guide us towards achievements that are deeply personal. “Oh, so you don’t want me to do x, y and z? Okay, that’s fine. Now I know what I need to do. I’m gonna work on x, y and z.”

Don’t be fooled - Resistance is persistent! It must be faced anew every day. It cannot be completely beaten. But you can starve it to the point where it has little to no influence over your actions. “He knows if he caves in today, no matter how plausible the pretext, he’ll be twice as likely to cave in tomorrow. The professional knows that Resistance is like a telemarketer; if you so much as say hello, you’re finished. The pro doesn’t even pick up the phone, he stays at work.” (Steven Pressfield in The War of Art)

All things labeled bad can be good if seen with new eyes. Make use of the sword pointing at you. Turn your obstacles upside down. It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you perceive what happens to you that dictates your past, present and future. 

Realise your power.

► Find iBrandV on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook

Image: Martyrs — El Salvador by Underline Studio

[londoncollegeyears]

“Voltaire very rightly says that if we succeed, it is at the point of the sword, and that we die with the weapon in our hand.”

We’re born with a power mechanism that keeps us alive, and allows us to avoid threatening situations where our life may be in danger. This is fear. Real fear. It protects us. Fear is our saviour. The loyal dog that walks by our side, always there to protect us from enemies.

You blame fear. You run away from it. 

But you own your life to fear.

Fear is the hero of the story! Please don’t segregate fear; don’t label it as bad, evil, unwanted. Fear has stuck with you all along. Your loyal servant forgives and forgets. Even after years and years of misjudgement, of being told how useless and destructive it is, it hasn’t ceased to shield you.

Befriend fear - and it will not only protect you, but it will show you how to use fear to attain success.

Don’t delude yourself (and don’t be deluded).

To put all the eggs in one basked and call them fear is unwise. Different fears for different purposes. Some fears lead you to rewards, other, help you move away from harm. 

But amongst these helpful soldiers, we employed viruses which at first look like fear (due to their false facade). One needs to be observant, aware and identify for his or her own self which fears are constructive, and which ‘fears’ aren’t fears at all. The distinction between fear and “fear” is the same as the difference between a loyal partner and a “loyal” partner. One is, the other is not.

We call this virus, Resistance. You refer to it as anxiety. It’s one and the same thing. “It focuses on possibilities in an unknown future, not a real and present threat. Humans have developed other emotions and warnings to help us avoid actual threats. Anxiety, on the other hand, is an internal construct with no relation to the outside world. Needless anxiety doesn’t protect you from danger, but from doing great things.” (Seth Godin in Linchpin)

The rotten eggs with their impeccable shells need to be challenged. Or else, they’ll contaminate the whole basket, and make you turn your back on your most precious ally, fear.

“Follow the path of most resistance.” The best advice I’ve heard in my life! The silly thing about feeling resistance toward an activity, is that we’re aware that if we go ahead and do it anyway, on the other side of it, there are precious rewards that we want and need. Yet, we let resistance spook us away from the things we strongly desire. We’re so silly sometimes! :)

Instead of allowing the dog to pull on the leash and lead us astray from where we intend to go, we can turn the force of resistance against itself, allowing it to guide us towards achievements that are deeply personal. “Oh, so you don’t want me to do x, y and z? Okay, that’s fine. Now I know what I need to do. I’m gonna work on x, y and z.”

Don’t be fooled - Resistance is persistent! It must be faced anew every day. It cannot be completely beaten. But you can starve it to the point where it has little to no influence over your actions. “He knows if he caves in today, no matter how plausible the pretext, he’ll be twice as likely to cave in tomorrow. The professional knows that Resistance is like a telemarketer; if you so much as say hello, you’re finished. The pro doesn’t even pick up the phone, he stays at work.” (Steven Pressfield in The War of Art)

All things labeled bad can be good if seen with new eyes. Make use of the sword pointing at you. Turn your obstacles upside down. It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you perceive what happens to you that dictates your past, present and future. 

Realise your power.

► Find iBrandV on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook

[londoncollegeyears]

//-001

Born relentless, taught to relent.

The troop stands in formation, ready to obey every command down to the letter. “These are your brothers. It’s not about you. It’s about the men and women next to you. We fight for justice! We fight for freedom! We fight for out country!” Hm. Brothers. Sisters. Fight.

Once in a blue moon, a young buck, dares to stand down. “You’re not following orders, cadet!” Hm. You’re damn right. “You hear me, cadet?” Hm. “Drop down and give me 20.” The overwhelming attention is usually enough to snap the cog back in place.

But this fellow won’t budge. “I told you to drop down and give me 20, God dammit!” From irritated to infuriated faster than you can blink. “The best fighter is never angry.” He locks eyes with his superior for a moment, then lowers his sight again. No one defies superiors. He was no one.

With his face smudged by the size 7 boot, he’s kicked to the curb. He’s defect. No good.

He stayed true to who he is, not who they wanted him to be. 

He’s relentless, and he likes it that way.

Hm. What if…

It’s not what they say it is, not who they say he is, not how they say it is? What then? … What now?

“What if it’s different? What if .. I’m different? What if I should? What if I can?”

Slip to the void

He’s got no one. He is no one.

With so much nothingness comes great clarity. There aren’t many should-do’s anymore. But there are plenty of possibilities, an abundance of options.

And so he watches the doers and the sayers and the watchers in search for a map to higher branches. He didn’t mix with the watchers, they weren’t very friendly. They criticised and throw rocks. He spent a lot of time with the sayers, he learned a lot from them. One thing he refused to accept is their inability to act. So when he moved on, the sayers never noticed. They just carried on talking on their own. They seemed happy that way.

The doers hanged in tribes. He interacted with many, and ultimately classified them in two camps: actual-doers, and busy-doers. He liked the busy ones, “they seem to know” he said. But very few stopped to talk to him. “Time is money! Not today! Whatever you want to sell me, I’m not interested!” He spend almost a year submersing himself in many of the busy tribes. There were tens-of-millions, maybe hundreds-of-millions of these ants running around all day, every single day, with very little rest, with high highs and low lows, and minimum advancements from one month to the next.

One day, he observed the busy-doers, and as predicted, there was so much activity, but very little to show for it. Then, he watched some actual-doers sell their craft on the beach. These people spend their entire day, completing one project after another, in rapid succession, and with astonishing results! It was then when it hit him: “Effort is necessary. However, it is not the most important. Results are the name of this game!”

“People don’t care how long it takes me to make art. They care about the final quality of product!”

[londoncollegeyears]

Who says Germans don’t have sense of humour.

[londoncollegeyears]

[londoncollegeyears]

americans can’t understand this picture

[londoncollegeyears]

Pretty much my 2015 http://ragecomics4you.tumblr.com

[londoncollegeyears]

That feeling when the group’s listening skills is 0/7 http://ragecomics4you.tumblr.com

[londoncollegeyears]

[londoncollegeyears]

[londoncollegeyears]

This old pistol can shoot in 8 different directions simultaneously, but not straight ahead. http://ragecomics4you.tumblr.com

[londoncollegeyears]

Plot twist. http://ragecomics4you.tumblr.com